


Comatose

by animechick999



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Car Accidents, Cigarettes, Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, New York City, Sexual Content, Virtual Reality, azureshipping, kaiba x anzu, kaiba x tea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:08:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28445175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animechick999/pseuds/animechick999
Summary: A horrific accident has left Tea in a comatose state and trapped in her own mind for over two years. After seeing her lifeless form, Kaiba decides to create a virtual reality that will wake her up. When her mind refuses to awaken, Kaiba chooses to go in after her. Will his mind become trapped in her comatose state as well, or will he be able to bring her home? Tea/Kaiba, Tea/Yugi.... most, if not all content, is Tea/Kaiba.This fic was originally posted to FF.net in 2016 and is still ongoing.
Relationships: Kaiba Seto & Mazaki Anzu | Tea Gardner, Kaiba Seto/Mazaki Anzu | Tea Gardner, Mazaki Anzu | Tea Gardner/Mutou Yuugi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. Comatose

It was the day the world came crashing down, and when they all realized they were not invincible. Eighteen months later and they were still astounded by the incident. Nothing had been the same. Their lives drastically changed. Especially Yugi Muto’s….

“I promise, she’ll be fine. My brother’s technology is state of the art. Seto and I will be able to get Tea out of her coma in no time!” Mokuba Kaiba, the young vice president of Kaiba Corporation explained. He remained optimistic as Yugi, Joey, and Tristan fought the cloud of depression that loomed over them.

Yugi’s face sunk. He hadn’t spoken much since Tea’s accident. Joey and Tristan rarely left his side. Yugi had been head over heels for Tea, and the two had just begun dating prior to the events leading up to Tea’s accident. She was his best friend and he felt absolutely lost without her.

“Mokuba, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean don’t ya think the doctor’s will be able to take care of her better?” Joey asked. His voice was soft and filled with concern, a characteristic that was uncommon in the spunky young man.

“Yeah, and won’t she need medical care?" Tristan contributed.

“Of course! That’s why Kaiba Corp. has it’s own medical team!” Mokuba piped up, “Besides, I want Tea out of this as much as you guys do. She’s been in a coma for far too long, and I miss my friend.”

“We all do,” Tristan said, glancing down at Yugi. Yugi’s face stayed downcast. He hadn’t looked up the entire time.

The three conversed in the hallway outside of Tea’s hospital room while Tea’s parents, the Chief of Medical Staff, and Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp., signed papers, filled out documents, and discussed medical emergencies on the other side of Tea’s door.

Mokuba tried to smile encouragingly, “This’ll be great you guys. Tea’s in good hands, trust me. My brother has developed virtual reality software that will help her mind ease back into reality. It’s truly an amazing concept!”

The door burst open and Kaiba walked through.

“Let’s go, Mokuba,” was all he said as he strode toward the hospital’s elevators.

Mokuba instinctually trailed behind his brother leaving the group behind.

“Kaiba….” A small voice spoke up. It was Yugi. His vocal cords felt strained from little use.

Kaiba turned around and faced the short young man. He hadn’t heard Yugi’s voice in an amazingly long time.

“Please, take care of her for me.”

Kaiba rarely made promises, but Yugi was different. “I promise you, Yugi, I will.”

* * *

**_*Six Months Later*_ **

Stone cold blue eyes pierced through the thick glass surrounding the control room to Tea’s virtual reality pod. Kaiba glared at Tea’s lifeless body, mentally screaming at her to open her damn eyes. She never did.

Within the control room were Kaiba Corp. technicians, physicians, analysts, and medical doctors who worked around the clock monitoring the young woman, performing brain tests, medical treatments, and various other processes in order to wake her up. Over the last six months since her arrival at Kaiba Corp., they were only able to process minor brain activity, but not enough to send her mind from the virtual reality into the real world.

“Mr. Kaiba,” One of the M.D.’s approached the young CEO, “I know we’ve had this discussion before, but I feel it’s time we discuss with her parents about taking her off of life support. From previous tests, the damage to her brain is minimal, but unfortunately, I feel as though keeping her on life support could further damage her central nervous system. I believe it’s time we bring her parents in and let them make a decision.”

Kaiba stared blankly ahead. He took in every word the doctor said. He had done the math, analyzed the situation before, knowing that the chances of Tea recovering were so slim.

“Sir, she’s been here long enough….”

Six months at Kaiba Corp. Eighteen months in the hospital. Two years total. Two years since the accident.

Kaiba inhaled deeply and closed his eyes while pitching the bridge of his nose. If it weren’t for Mokuba, he wouldn’t be in this situation. He didn’t have the vigor to be in control of another person’s life. A life he didn’t even know….

Yes, Kaiba had known Tea Gardner. Sure, he’d spoken to her when she was with Yugi and his friends, and yes, he’d even saved her life before, but all in all he had never _known_ Tea. They had never become close friends like she was with Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and even Mokuba, but somehow _he_ was the one looking after her. She was his burden now.

Kaiba mentally cursed himself for caving into Mokuba’s pleas. He couldn’t deny that Kaiba Corp. technology was top notch, even better than most hospitals or labs, but that sure as hell didn’t mean he needed to take on this so called ‘science project.’ Yet, somehow Tea became his encumbrance and everything he engrossed himself in these past six months.

“Sir?”

He wasn’t about to give up on her now. There had to be a way, he just _knew_ it.

“Sir, would you like me to phone her parents?”

Kaiba opened his eyes and fixed his gaze back on Tea’s unmoving body. He held up a hand to hush the doctor. “That won’t be necessary.”

“But, sir, I’m afraid there’s no other way….”

Kaiba turned to the doctor and practically hissed, “There is _always_ another way.”

He strode out of the control room, his thick, white trench coat billowing behind him. His feet felt heavy, his mind drained from the exhaustion of this whole ordeal, but he wasn’t about to give up. There was one thing they hadn’t tried yet….

“Mr. Kaiba, wait! Where are you going?” The doctor shouted from behind him, but Kaiba refused to listen, heading briskly toward the door that unlocked Tea’s virtual reality room.

“Mr. Kaiba, you can’t go in there! Wait!” The doctor’s pleading grew more frantic. He spun around and shouted at a nearby employee, “Get Mokuba down here right now!”

He turned back to chasing after Kaiba, “Mr. Kaiba, please wait! You cannot interrupt the environmental balance of the room-“

“Don’t you think I know that!?” Kaiba spat, spinning around to face the doctor, “I created this technology. I know what I’m doing.” He rotated back around to face the door, working quickly on getting the locks to open.

“But sir you could harm the patient. The room is pressurized.” The doctor’s eyes widened when he heard the hiss of the door’s unlocking system grant entrance to his employer.

Kaiba narrowed his eye, “Lecture me one more time on the technology I’ve created and you’ll be searching for a new job.” With that Kaiba whipped open the door, a blast of dry, sterilized air hit him with such a force that it almost took the breath right out of his lungs. He took a rapid step into the room to avoid being chased by the doctor once again.

“Mr. Kaiba, please wait-“ The door slammed shut in his face.

Kaiba peeled off his trench coat and left it in a heap on the floor while he made his way over to Tea’s pod. He took a few moments to examine her lifeless figure. The breathing tube connected to her nose, the dark circles under her eyes, her pale skin and brittle, outgrown hair, Kaiba was sick and tired of seeing her this way, and he knew this decision was for the best. Tea didn’t deserve to miss out on anymore of her life. No one did.

Passing by her pod, Kaiba marched over to a miniature control board, frantically typing in a code. The floor next to Tea’s pod began to open, a sliding trap door revealing a second virtual reality pod. The pod rose to match the level of Tea’s.

Kaiba closed his eyes. He needed a moment to evaluate his position. There he was, trying to rescue a girl he’d barely known, again…. Of course he had tested out his virtual reality technology before and things didn’t always run so smoothly, but there were times when he’d succeeded. Here and now his triumphs mattered more than his failures and he needed to trust in what he’d created. If not, he’d never come back….

Kaiba had tweaked the virtual reality system to specifically mimic a mind that was in a comatose state. If Tea was a vegetable like the doctors were saying, and Kaiba uploaded his mind into the system, a system warped around her reality, a reality that could very well not exist anymore, then Kaiba’s mind would be lost, and he’d possibly end up in a state of comatose as well. All in all, it was a risk worth taking. Watching Tea waste away for two years was enough to convince him that if he didn’t try to bring her mind back now, he never would.

Taking one last glance at Tea to assure himself was all it took to get him into the second pod.

“Seto, NO!” He heard Mokuba’s screams through the loud speaker. His eyes shifted towards the glass wall. Mokuba was behind that control room but Kaiba couldn’t see him, it was a one-way glass.

Kaiba lied down in the pod and let his technology do the rest of the work for him. Metal wrist, ankle and waistbands locked his body into place. An eye shield shifted across his gaze, bringing his head to where it needed to be. The glass lid of the pod closed with a click. Mokuba’s frantic cries were the last thing Kaiba heard before his mind was thrust into the virtual reality.

When he woke up her heard nothing, saw nothing, felt nothing. All was numb. Silent. Invisible. Kaiba felt his mind slip into a black hole he’d never escape from. He could feel his mind wanting to rest, allowing the nothingness to engulf him and lose himself to a comatose state. Consciousness began to fade fast, like the falling of a sunset, but Kaiba suddenly realized why his mind was here in the first place.

_Tea…._

She had to be here, right? His mind would’ve been consumed into her empty one by now, or was this the slow process of being swept away into oblivion? Was he becoming like her? Was he about to become comatose? His mind wavered between consciousness and unconsciousness, and something inside Kaiba told him he needed to fight the urge to rest, to close his eyes and never wake up.

There was nothing, and that’s all that Kaiba knew. He knew he had failed and made the wrong decision. Uploading his mind had ultimately caused his demise. He’d sacrificed his own life to save someone he didn’t even know, risking his mind for someone who was already long gone. He would never get time with Mokuba again. He gambled with his life and lost.

_Mokuba…. I’m so sorry…._

Like a barely audible whisper, the stifling of his slight sob was almost tranquil. Then, he _felt_ it, like a spark rolling down the side of his face instead of a teardrop. Hot liquid burned his cheek and he reached up a hand to touch the side of his face. The soft caress of his own hand assured him that he was indeed beginning to come to his senses.

Black nothingness created an instant gradient into outlines and forms that started to take shape before Kaiba’s eyes. Stars and a full moon speckled across a deep, dark blue sky. Tall pine trees littered the horizon until Kaiba recognized he was standing in a clearing of a rich, green, thick forest.

A breeze blew by, giving Kaiba goose bumps. He looked down to examine himself. He was wearing a three-quarter sleeved V-neck shirt; it appeared to be a shade lighter than black, but Kaiba couldn’t tell in the night. He noticed he was wearing jeans instead of pants, and his famous card-shaped locked was missing. These were not the clothes he was wearing when he entered the virtual reality pod. Kaiba assumed that his technology was working correctly, because it seemed that Tea’s mind was altering everything within this virtual reality. Tea was the owner of this virtual world, and Kaiba was simply a visitor, susceptible to her mind’s modifications.

Kaiba closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, holding his breath before he groaned in one long exhale. He snapped his eyes open, his mind feeling sharp and refreshed. The need for rest had vanished with the nothingness and all that reminded was Kaiba’s determination to find Tea.

_She’s here…. Somewhere…._

A piercing gasp from behind him made Kaiba almost jump out of his skin, and he twisted around with such force that he thought he’d just given himself whiplash.  
There was a young girl standing near the edge of the tree line. She appeared to be around Mokuba’s age. She had straight, long hair that was a tad darker than his, and was sporting what looked to be a large floral hair clip that matched her flouncy, bright yellow summer dress. Her eyes were identical to Tea’s in shape and color.

_Could this be her?_

“How long have you been standing there?” She inquired, her hands nervously cupped in front of her chest. They were shaking slightly, almost as if _she_ startled _him_ and not the other way around.

“Long enough.”

She jogged up to him and forcefully grasped his hand, pulling him in the direction she wanted him to go, “Hurry, it’s not safe out here.”

Kaiba followed, mainly due to her tight grip on his hand, and asked, “What do you mean it’s not safe?”

She didn’t look back at him. Instead, she moved a bit quicker, pulling him along with even more might, “It could rain. The creeks will flood.”

Kaiba stopped walking and pointed up, “There’s not a cloud in the sky.”

She followed his index finger and glared up at the stars. She shook her head and yanked on his arm to get him to move. “You don’t understand! It’s dangerous!”

Just like that there was a soft roar of thunder in the distance, and Kaiba noticed a few ominous clouds developing overhead. He hadn’t been in a virtual world in so long he had almost forgotten how quickly environments could change.

The girl tugged on his arm even more frantically this time, begging Kaiba to move, “Please hurry! There isn’t much time!”

Kaiba obeyed and began to run with the girl, keeping pace with her, following her through the mess of the forest. They weaved in and out of trees, jumped over logs, sticks and rocks, as well as avoided any small creek or stream like they were the plague. The thunder reverberated. It’s once soft roars growing into boisterous claps.

“This way!” The girl shouted, pointing to their left as they ran as fast as they could through the forest. Behind them, Kaiba could hear the rain beginning to fall, drumming vigorously against the tops of the trees. It was almost as if the line of rain was pursuing them.

“Hurry, before the rain hits us!” The girl’s voice was panicky now. This girl acted as if the rain was toxic. Kaiba played along with her charade, knowing he was trapped in Tea’s mind and the only way out would be through what her mind presented to him.

Kaiba felt a hefty drop of ice-cold liquid smack against his forehead. The instant the rain stung his face was when he heard a terrifying scream. The scream was so piercing it made him instantaneously cover his ears with his hands.

The girl screamed at Kaiba, fear written across her facial features, “She’s in trouble!”

_Could she mean Tea?_


	2. The Flood

He couldn’t count the steps he took in-between her shrill of screams. As the raindrops began to fall at a more frequent pace, her penetrating cries grew more desperate and high-pitched to the point where Kaiba felt like his head was spinning from the sound. Kaiba could feel the rush of hot and cool air escaping his mouth as he inhaled and exhaled, his chest heaving in frenzied urgency, but not even the sound of his own heavy breathing could successfully drown out the screams. 

It was too difficult to brush away the tree branches and rain from his face that Kaiba quickly gave up and focused on keeping up pace with the girl in front of him. She was surprisingly much quicker than him, and Kaiba blamed the virtual world for such an unreal feat.

“This way, this way, this way!” She shouted repeatedly. Kaiba could hardly hear her over the screaming.

The girl dodged a fallen log and abruptly turned right, quickly vanishing out of Kaiba’s line of sight. He cursed himself for losing her, and tried to catch up, following her same route. Thorns and tree branches scratched his face and arms while ripping through the lightweight fabric of his shirt. His wounds stung from the falling rain and he tasted blood as it dripped from his cuts and into his mouth. His spit out the excess blood mixed with rainwater, not letting something so minor stop him from reaching his goal.

These minor feelings weren’t real anyways. Kaiba needed to find Tea, get her out of here, and finally go back to his normal life. Besides, if this virtual technology succeeded in bringing Tea out of her coma, he would have a whole other project on his hands. Kaiba Corporation would need to start the development process of the latest virtual technology, with the ability to withdraw someone from a coma. The technology would be groundbreaking; something the world had never seen before, and Kaiba couldn’t wait to announce it, all the more reason to get out of here.

Kaiba came up on a break in the tree line and hurtled toward it, traveling through the brush and making it into the clearing. Standing before him was a single town house. It felt extremely out of place, considering they were in the middle of a forest, but Kaiba deduced the logic to this virtual reality he willingly placed himself in.

“Help me get in!” The girl was yanking as hard as she could on the front door. It wouldn’t budge. Kaiba ran up the front porch stairs, resisting the temptation to cover his ears as the decibels in the high pitch screaming increased. He pulled as hard as he could on the handle. The door felt like it was stuck to the frame by eight layers of tar. No matter what Kaiba tried, the door wouldn’t even rattle.

_There’s always another way._

Whipping himself over the side rail of the porch and sticking the landing, Kaiba hurried over to the side of the house, this time leaving the young girl to follow him. There was a tiny basement window that appeared breakable. Kaiba took a seat on the grass, positioning himself to kick through the window. He hoped luck was on his side. If not, this would be extremely painful. Kaiba anticipated his shoes absorbing the major part of the impact, but only trial and error would prove that theory. Kaiba braced himself, knitting his hands into the thick grass to give him more leverage. Using all of his might, he forcefully jutted his legs out in front of him, creating contact with the window.

It cracked.

_Awesome,_ he thought, embracing the fact that the impact didn’t hurt nearly as much as he thought it would. After a few more powerful kicks, the glass shattered and Kaiba cleared away the dangling shards as best as he could. He motioned for the young girl to come closer.

“I’m going to jump in first and then I’ll catch you, okay?”

She nodded.

Kaiba didn’t spare another moment, diving right through the small window, landing feet first with a splash.

_What the hell?_ Kaiba looked down to see that there was about four feet of water flooding the basement. Pipes all around him had burst and water was rushing in at an alarming rate.

Kaiba noticed the girl beginning to work her way through the window. He needed to carry her; there was no way she was tall enough to sift through all this water. Just as the thought draped through his mind, the girl had jumped. He caught her just in time, preventing her from getting soaked.

“Ah!” She shrieked, noticing the water, “What happened?”

Kaiba cradled her as she clung to his neck. “The basement flooded.”

There was a minor current as Kaiba trudged through the water carrying the young girl in his arms. Noticing the water filling up faster than normal, Kaiba lengthened his strides, hurrying toward the staircase on the other side of the basement. The water filled up to his waist, then arms, then past his shoulders.

“We’re not gonna make it out of here!” She cried.

“Yes, we are.”

Running in water was a difficult task, but Kaiba managed to make it to the stairway, setting his foot on the first stair, then the second, climbing his way up each step. It seemed that the quicker he moved, the faster the water rose.

The girl buried her face into the crook of Kaiba’s neck, crying, “We’re not gonna make it!” Water splashed up the sides of their faces. Kaiba was almost to the top. Maybe once he opened the door they would be safe?

They lifted their heads above the water. It was consuming them quickly. They were just about there….

Kaiba hoisted the girl up to the door handle, “Grab it and push!” The water was now surrounding his face.

She stretched as far as she could without pushing him under. “I can’t reach it!”

“Hurry! Open the doo-” A wave of water took Kaiba under. Large bubbles rose to the surface where his face had just been.

“No!” She wailed, making one last grasp toward the door. Suction sounds were heard as the water was quickly overtaking the basement. The growing current pulled her under.

Kaiba opened his eyes underwater and saw that the girl had been dragged under as well. Using all his strength to avoid the current’s suction, he lifted her up past the water and to the surface. She gasped for air, taking only a moment to collect herself. She instantly knew why Kaiba had lifted her up in the first place, and she firmly grabbed a hold of the doorknob, twisting it open with all her might, and pushed.

As the door flew open, the water’s current carried the young girl and Kaiba through. Water rushed in but did not fill up the area, so the two had a glimpse of time to catch their breath.

The screaming was still present.

Kaiba coughed up water. Once he was able to control his breathing he turned to the girl. She was catching her breath as well. “Are you-” he took a moment to cough, “okay?”

She nodded and stood abruptly. “Hurry, we need to find her and get out of here!”

Kaiba stood, trailing the girl as she ran throughout the house. Kaiba noticed the water from the basement beginning to fill up on the first floor and encouraged the girl to find the stairs that would bring them to the second floor (if there even was one.)

“I got it!” She shouted and swung an arm around the railing to the second story staircase. They scurried up the steps, noticing the water shadowing behind like an uninvited guest.

“She’s this way!”

Kaiba began to wonder how this girl knew so much about a random house. Was it her house? If so, how long had she been living here? Did it even matter? This whole world was imaginary anyways. Just the happenings of Tea’s mind, playing out like a horrific dream. But boy, did it feel real. 

The girl elbowed a door at the end of the hall and barged right in. Kaiba entered in after her. He stopped in the middle of the room, his eyes growing wide. For almost two years he observed her lifeless body, wishing she’d make a move. But there was never anything more than an insignificant twitch. Now, here she was, lying down on a bed, screaming for bloody murder, eyes clenched shut, hands balled up and covering her ears.

She was full of life.

_Tea…_

He darted to her, grabbing her wrists, trying to shake her awake. Her screams were petrifying. Kaiba thought he’d blow an eardrum. _Why hadn’t her voice cracked yet?_

“TEA!” He shouted, shaking her so hard it looked like she was seizing. “PLEASE WAKE UP!” He strained his neck in an attempt to shout over her screams, but it seemed almost impossible. His voice felt like sandpaper, squeezing his vocal cords together so hard that he thought they’d burst.

With one last violent shake, and one final holler, Kaiba gave Tea everything he had, “TEA!”

Her screaming stopped. Her eyes relaxed. Kaiba took her loosened hands away from her ears and set them down gently beside her.

His ears rang. The silence was spooky and sent a shockwave of shivers through him. His raspy, soft whisper sounded like a shout cutting through the quiet, “Tea? Can you hear me?”

Like lightning, her eyes shot open, and blue met blue.

Tea gasped at the sight of a stunned Kaiba, and moved away from him, sitting up on her bed. “K-Kaiba!? What in the world are you doing in my bedroom?”

Her bedroom? So, this wasn’t the little girl’s house after all? “I was brought here by her,” he twisted around to point to the young girl who was standing behind him.

She was gone. 

Kaiba blinked. Then again, and again. Nothing. The little brown-haired girl that had helped him find Tea had disappeared. He ran toward the doorway and peeked his head out into the hall, looking both ways for her. She was absent.

“Kaiba…. No one is here….”

Once again, Kaiba realized he was in an unsteady environment and at the threshold of Tea’s mind. Anything could happen here. That girl could have been a fragment of Tea’s imagination; a piece of her subconscious that desired to assist him in his quest to find her conscious mind. Even still, she had looked so much like Tea….

“Kaiba?”

He turned around to face her, switching his mind back to the matter at hand, “Follow me. We’re getting you out of here.”

Confusion etched itself across her facial features. “Get me out of here?”

“Yes. It’s not safe. Let’s go.” He waved for her to follow him, but she continued to sit on her bed.

“No, I’m not just going to up and leave my home just because you tell me to.”

“It’s not safe.”

“No.”

“Gardner, just trust me on this.”

“No!”

Her defiance was despicable. Kaiba let go of a heavy sigh. He didn’t want to have to do this, but she needed to know the truth.

“This isn’t your home.”

“….”

“Your reality isn’t what you think it is.”

“….”

Her lack of response was getting to him. He hated doing this much talking.

“You’re trapped in one of my virtual reality systems.”

This brought on a severe glare that Kaiba _really_ didn’t feel like receiving at the moment. Especially not after risking his mind to save hers. He sighed. She really wasn’t going to like this part….

“You’ve been in a coma for the past two years….”

When she still refused to speak, he studied her, his eyes carefully searching for a response. Stunned, shaken, and shocked were the words Kaiba would use to depict the actions her body took as her shoulders tightened, jaw-slacked and eyes filled with horror. She began to blink frantically, shaking her head and scraping her scalp with her fingernails as she ran her hands through her hair.

“N-no, no, no…. This can’t be? How could I be in a coma? For two years?” She violently shook her head once again, moving to a standing position and pacing the length of her bedside, “No, no, no! There’s no way I could be in a coma, not if I’m standing here talking to you!” She lifted her hand and gestured to him, but the look on her face was one of pure confliction. She wasn’t confident in her answer, her voice shaking and plagued with turmoil.

Kaiba just stood there, staring at her. It was unnerving.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Her voice broke, cracking as her eyes began to water, “If I was in a coma, you wouldn’t be here.” By now, Kaiba could tell she was just trying to convince herself he was wrong. She knew he wasn’t.

“Listen, your body is in the real world and it’s starting to fail. If you don’t trust me, you’ll become a vegetable, trapped in this virtual world forever. Worst of all, I’ll be stuck with you.”

A swell of silence hovered over them for a few seconds. 

“Look, I uploaded my mind to this virtual world to save you. You’re the only one that can control this place. You’re the only one who can find a way out. That’s the way I designed this virtual world.”

Tea furrowed her eyebrows. “You created this virtual world for… me?”

It was almost as if her doubt had vanished. Did she suddenly believe everything he was saying or was she simply shocked at the fact that he would do something that helped out another person? Whatever the reason, Kaiba didn’t care. He needed her to get them out, and pronto.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To wake you up.”

“And you uploaded your mind to save me?”

“Essentially.”

Tea just stood there, staring off into nothing. It was like her mind was processing the entirety of the situation.

“Well?”

“Huh?”

“Are you just going to stand there all day looking like an idiot, or are you going to help me find a way out?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, “Don’t call me an idiot.”

Kaiba was about to make another snide remark when the sound of rushing water occupied his ears. He moved into the hallway and noted that the water had risen to the top of the staircase. The entire house was flooded except the second floor, and soon they’d be submerged if they didn’t find a way out. Kaiba’s main exit option was out of order. He needed to convince Tea to get her ass moving or they were both screwed.

“What’s the matter, Kaiba?” She walked out into the hallway and gasped when she noticed the water rising. She panicked and screamed once again. Scrunching her eyes shut and twisting her hands into her hair in distress. Kaiba’s eyes widened when he understood that all of this screaming and anxiety revolved around water.

_Her subconscious is trying to protect her from water. Something must’ve happened with water…._

He slammed his hand over her mouth and she instantly stopped screaming. It was as if she was brought back to reality. He gripped her forearms and tugged them away from her scalp. A few stray hairs were pulled out in the process and Tea winced. Panic was still incredibly evident upon her face and Kaiba had to calm her down or they’d both drown.

“Gardner, quit freaking out!”

“I can’t!”

“You need to relax and help me think of a way out of here. You said this is your house. You know it better than I do.”

“There isn’t another way!”

“Think!”

“I don’t know!”

“There has to be another way.”

Their blue eyes mixed, transferring a sliver of understanding to the other.

Tea thrashed her way out of Kaiba’s vice grip and grabbed his hand, dragging him back into her bedroom. She ran to her bedroom window, pushed it open, took out the screen and rotated around to face him.

“We’re jumping.” She was pointing out the window.

“This is crazy,” he replied.

“You told me to find a way out!”

The water began to leak into her bedroom, rapidly saturating the premises.

He jogged over to Tea. “I guess there’s no time to think about it now.”

“If you want me to trust you then you need to trust me as well.”

He didn’t argue. He simply took her hand and crawled onto the ledge with her. Thankfully, the windowsill was big enough for the two of them to stand on.

“How do we do this without killing ourselves, Kaiba?”

“Oh, now you believe me?”

She frowned, “Yes! Of course, I believe you! Just tell me how we survive this!”

The rushing sound of the water grew louder and Kaiba glanced back. Seeing that the water had risen almost two feet since they hopped on the ledge, Kaiba shortened his small talk, urging her to hurry up.

“Just think of the nicest place you can! Some place that’s not your home!”

“I don’t know! I can’t think of a place-” He abruptly snatched her hand, pulling her away from her thought process.

_There’s no time_ , Kaiba thought.

“Jump!”

They leaped out of the two-story window, flying through the air and rapidly hurtling for the ground.

The last thing Kaiba heard was the water pouring out of the window and splattering against the earth. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well, it looks like I left you guys on a bit of a cliffhanger. I guess you’ll just have to read the next chapter to find out what happens….   
> Speaking of reading, THANK YOU to everyone who has read this story and my other stories so far. Thanks for all of your favorites and reviews. You guys seriously are the best! Please review and let me know how I’m doing and what you think so far. Thanks everyone!


	3. The Snake

"Blah! What the fuck, Gardner!?"

Tea stood up and brushed the sand off of her clothes. She watched Kaiba, on his hands and knees, spit out clumps of sand and wipe his mouth with the backs of his wrists. He was covered in sand, his face and hair were different shades of tan.

"Sorry, Kaiba," she wasn't really sorry, "I guess my mind just chose to take us here."

Kaiba stood, "Yes, here," he turned to scowl at her; he was still completely covered in sand. He looked ridiculous and Tea stifled a chuckle. He stretched his arms out and waved them around as if he was showcasing something, "in the middle of a fucking DESERT!" 

She shrugged, still suppressing a laugh at his appearance.

He gave her one last frown and then began walking away from her, still ranting, "You could've picked anywhere and you chose _here_! Why not Paris? Or London?" He began brushing the sand off of his thighs and arms. He stomped through the uneven ground, kicking sand up as he did so. His right foot found a hidden hole and he fell through up to his knee, cursing as he almost lost his balance.

"Dammit, Gardner!" 

She followed behind, chuckling lightly, "What? It's not my fault you don't know where you're walking."

He spun around violently and glared at her. He was fuming, "yes, yes it is! If it weren't for you and your fucked up mind I wouldn't be in this stupid virtual world in the first place!"

Tea refused to take his low blows. "You created this virtual world, not me! My mind is just responding to it!"

"Yes, because your mind is afraid of water, so it brought us here, where there is no fucking water!"

Tea practically growled at him. She didn't consciously choose this place. Her mind chose it for her. It wasn't her fault. 

Kaiba brushed off her silence and began walking the other way, "We better be close to Las Vegas...." He grumbled to himself but Tea heard him. How could she not? He was the only other living thing out here. There was nothing else out here. No trees. No cactuses. Not even stupid tumbleweed. Just the rolling hills and sand. Maybe if Tea thought about it hard enough she could bring forth a mirage in the desert? Kaiba did mention Las Vegas...

"How do we know which direction we're going?"

Kaiba refused to answer. What a fucking stupid question. Of course he didn't know what direction they were headed. They we just.... going...

They went a while without speaking, Tea trailing behind, wishing her mind had brought them to a less hot place. The sun was beating down on her bare skin and it felt like someone was placing a hot plate on her arms, shoulders, and face. She was tempted to mention to Kaiba that they needed to find somewhere cooler, but she knew he'd respond with some nasty remark. It just wasn't worth it. 

A high-pitched rattling sound pulled Tea out of her thoughts. Why was she hearing a rattle in the middle of the des-

“Shit!" 

She fixed her gaze on Kaiba right as he fell to the ground, clutching his left leg. Tea couldn’t tell what happened right away. All she heard was the rattling sound growing more intense. She didn’t put two and two together until she heard Kaiba yell.

“Kaiba!” She ran to him, quickly closing the space between them.

He held up his hand to stop her, “Stop! Don’t move!”

The rattling intensified and Tea looked to the source of the sound. A rattlesnake was coiled up, ready to strike. Its rattle moving so fast that it looked blurry. The snake was only a few feet away from her, but just inches from Kaiba. Tea examined Kaiba, who was sitting in the sand, inching backwards, with a terrified expression on his face. The rattlesnake had ripped through Kaiba’s jeans and there was a sizable bite mark on his lower calf muscle. Blood had already begun dripping from the wound, staining his jeans and leaving a trail on the ground as Kaiba backed away from the snake. The snake inched even closer.

Kaiba eyed the venomous creature for a moment, and then it flew through the air, hurtling itself at Kaiba, aiming for his face. Kaiba held up his left arm to block the attack. The rattlesnake sunk its fangs into Kaiba’s arm and he whipped the serpent away, letting it skid across the desert sand. Before leaving Kaiba’s forearm, the rattlesnake had taken a souvenir along with it. A half-dollar sized chunk of skin was missing out of his arm.

He cried out in agony, clutching his torn flesh, blood spilling out of the lesion. Tea had never seen tears fall from Seto Kaiba’s eyes before, but here, she saw the mighty Seto Kaiba crumble. Tears flowing like a creek, down his cheeks and neck. His cries were startling and Tea knew she needed to help him. Before moving toward an injured Kaiba, she saw the rattlesnake slither back around, bee lining toward Kaiba once again, revving up for another attack.

Thinking fast, Tea kicked off her shoe and lobbed it across the desert, targeting the reptile’s head. Missing by millimeters, she kicked off her other shoe and ran at the snake with it. Just as it was about to get the chance to bite, Tea smacked the snake in the head with the sole of her shoe, whacking the creature into next week. Defeated, the serpent slithered away and disappeared within the sandy hills of the desert. 

“Kaiba?” Tea turned back to see him. He was rocking back and forth, cradling his injured arm. Deep, disturbing sobs escaped from the back of his throat. Tea sprinted to him and bent down to his level, “Let me see your wounds.” She pulled his other hand away. The second she did it she instantly wished she hadn’t. The sight of the gash was horrifying. Not only was there blood pouring out of the open flesh, soaking Kaiba’s clothes and the sandy ground, but also the skin around the wound had begun to swell and turn blue. Tea turned away, deciding she couldn’t take in the sight anymore or she would vomit. She focused her attention on Kaiba’s leg, noticing the fang marks that had pierced the surface. The wound wasn’t nearly as bad, but Kaiba wasn’t going to be able to walk by himself.

“What’re you doing!?” He screamed at her in a panicked tone as she began removing his left shoe.

“The swelling has already started and trust me, you don’t want your shoe on when your foot swells up to double its normal size.”

Kaiba didn’t question it. He didn’t care. At this point all he knew was that he was going to die.

_But how?_

Kaiba had completely forgotten that they were in the virtual world. Everything here felt so real, every jab from the snake, the aftershock and pain, it all felt so physical….

“You need to think of a way out right now,” Kaiba moaned, his voice still holding onto its demanding demeanor, “or otherwise I am going to die here in your mind.”

“What do you mean?”

Anger mixed with agony flared up inside of Kaiba, and he desperately snapped at her, “This is your mind! You did this to me! Now get me out of this!” He hunched over as another wave of pain seared through him like fire coursing through his veins.

Tea couldn’t argue with him on that. Her mind had done this. All Kaiba was trying to do was save her…

“I’ll think of something,” She said, but was panicking internally. There was no way she’d be able to suck the poison out of his arm since the flesh had been ripped right off. Maybe she could try for his leg? Tea glanced at his wounded leg and found it beginning to swell. There was no way she’d get the poison out, it was already deep into his blood stream, especially from the bite on his arm. The act would be futile. 

Tea lifted Kaiba to his feet. He groaned but didn’t fight her. She wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and her left arm around his waist. Making sure her grasp was firm enough, she began the slow and tedious journey across the desert, carrying Kaiba as best as she could. He wasn’t as heavy as she predicted he’d be, he was super thin after all, but he was still heavy enough to make Tea exhausted. They’d only gone a short distance with Kaiba limping the entire time, when she really felt his weight crash down on her. Tea almost stumbled.

“Kaiba?” She turned to look at him. Sweat was dripping down his face. Blood was falling from his inflamed wounds. He felt just as hot as the desert sun on Tea’s skin. She looked into his eyes, they were unfocused and his eyelids continually drooped. Tea could tell he was fading fast. Shaking him a bit to garner a reaction, Tea heard a deep moan escape his lips and Kaiba gazed at Tea with heavy eyes. 

“Kaiba, talk to me.”

Another deep moan exited the back of his throat.

She shook him once again, “Kaiba, please,” her tone developed into something much more desperate and frantic than before, “you need to stay awake.”

He didn’t listen to her, shutting his eyes once again.

“No! Wake up!” No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried to shake him awake, he wouldn’t wake up. She laid him down on the ground, and kneeled in the sand. Placing his head on her lap, she started to brush away stray drops of sweat that had formed on his forehead.

He had passed out, and now Tea was all out of options. What could she do? He would die here in her mind, right? If what Kaiba said was really true, and she could control this place and the environment, then all she needed to do was think of a comforting place. But would it be enough to save Kaiba? Could she control this virtual world enough to turn back the clock and erase what had happened to him? Maybe this place was like lucid dreaming?

Gripping Kaiba’s right hand, she squeezed as hard as she could, closing her eyes tight. She needed to imagine a place, a comforting place where her and Kaiba would be safe.

Greenery slowly overtook Tea’s mind until it was all she could imagine. Beautiful hues of pink, orange, and fiery red filled the gaps in her vision as she gradually reached a point of meditation she had never thought possible. It was as if she were floating, the sensation felt so relaxing.

A crisp, wisp of cool air swiftly snatched away the desert heat. The cool air brought relief to Tea’s scorched skin along with a scent of crinkled maple leaves. The atmosphere grew heavy, as if a fresh rainstorm had just passed through. Tea licked her lips, tasting sweet hints of cinnamon. She knew where she was without even opening her eyes. It was a place she had wanted to be all along.

Before she could embrace her new surroundings, she thought of Kaiba. There was no way she could just leave him in this condition. If she had the power to change where they were, then she _must_ have the power to heal him. It was only a matter of time before his mind would be lost in the crevasses of her subconscious.

Squeezing his hand even tighter, Tea pictured Kaiba’s wounds. Each drop of blood that fell she visualized disintegrating into thin air. She imagined the swelling slowly flattening to his skin, and the bite marks dissolving like mist. The skin on his arm connecting together like a basket weave, and the temperature he carried dying down, evaporating the beads sweat that had formed on his face.

Moments passed, and there was nothing but the cool stillness. Tea relaxed her grip on Kaiba’s hand, gently placing it next to him. She calmed the muscles in her face as well, knowing that her worry was now over. She inhaled deeply then exhaled relief as she steadily opened her eyes.

* * *

Something scratched the side of his face. It wasn’t rough, just a soft scratch, but enough to startle him awake. His eyes scanned his surroundings.

_I don’t remember this…_

Beautiful red, yellow, pink, and orange leaves hung over him like a natural canopy while a cool breeze rushed by, chilling him slightly. Fallen leaves whooshed past his face, scratching him once again. He sat up slowly from the park bench he had just been laying on. Looking in all directions he realized where he was.

_Central Park? How did she-?_

“Kaiba?” Her voice pulled him away from his thoughts.

Tea was walking toward him carrying two travel coffee cups. Her short hair bounced as she picked up the pace, hurrying down the Central Park pathway. The trail was surrounded by trees and was typically a well-travelled portion of the park, but no one was around. How could that be?

“Gardner how did you-”

She handed Kaiba the cup and he took it.

“I just did what you told me to,” She took a seat on the park bench next to Kaiba. “It’s a dirty chai.”

He gave her a quizzical look.

She smirked, “Chai tea mixed with steamed milk and a shot of espresso.”

Kaiba glanced down at his beverage but didn’t take a drink.

“I thought you liked caffeine Kaiba?”

“I do.”

“Then drink up.”

He couldn’t bring himself to do it just yet. It wasn’t the drink that was bothering him; it was the gap in his memory. The last thing he remembered was being in so much pain….

Tea gave him a friendly nudge with her elbow. “I made it just for you. The shot of espresso to wake you up and the tea to help you heal.”

Kaiba looked at her for a moment. Her blue eyes were soft and sweet. Why hadn’t he noticed them before? Turning away, he focused on his drink and took a huge gulp, practically burning his esophagus.

A quiet moment past after Kaiba had swallowed. He licked the subtle cinnamon taste off of his lips and said, “This is really good. You made this?”

Did Kaiba just compliment her? She nodded, “Yes. There’s no one here but us, so I broke into a coffee shop and just went at it.”

“Well it’s delicious,” he took another sip.

“Thank you.”

He swallowed, “Wait, did you just say no one else is here?”

She nodded.

“No one else in all of New York City?”

She nodded once again.

“How did you manage that?”

She shrugged, “I just pictured my favorite place in the whole wide world and decided to go for it.”

“I see….” He took another drink, not asking any questions. He didn’t care why New York was her favorite place. All he cared about was being out of that God-forsaken desert. 

Tea set her beverage down next to her on the bench. “Kaiba, do you mind if I take a look at your wounds?”

He sent her a surprised glance; as if he was shocked she cared. Kaiba suddenly realized that if it weren’t for Tea and her diligence, he might still be in severe pain, even if it was her mind that had brought him to the virtual world in the first place. Could he really blame her for his decision to upload his mind? He couldn’t watch her die any longer, and the decision to try and save her was all his.

“Sure,” his voice was low and monotonous. He didn’t want Tea to know what he was thinking.

She gave him a pleasant, sympathetic smile and reached for his arm first, rubbing her smooth fingertips over the flesh that had recently been torn. There wasn’t any sign that Kaiba had even been bitten at all. His arm was perfectly healed.

Kaiba would’ve thought it to be a miracle if it weren’t for the whole virtual world thing. He did react to Tea’s touch, as it sent goose bumps over his exposed skin. Part of him wished he could feel something like that in the real world.

Tea moved to his leg, seeking the spot where the snake had bitten him there. Kaiba’s dark jeans were stained and torn, and his shoe was gone, but his skin was fine. No signs of swelling, redness, or a bite mark. Tea’s meditating had worked and she was impressed by Kaiba’s virtual reality technology.

Kaiba pulled his limbs from her grasp. “Now that I’m all healed,” he paused to take a long swig of his dirty chai, slamming the cup down next to him on the park bench and standing abruptly, “let’s get the hell out of here.”

Tea stood, grabbing his arm, “Wait, we can’t leave just yet.”

He yanked his arm away, “And why the hell not?”

“Because,” her eyes shifted away from him, “I’ve never been to New York City. It’s been my dream, for as long as I can remember, to come here. I can’t just leave!”

“Yes you can.” It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a demand.

Tea shook her head, “No, Kaiba, you don’t understand. This is my chance to see the city! I’ve wanted to live here for so long, start my professional dancing career….”

Kaiba narrowed his gaze. “I hate to break this to you, _again_ ….” His sarcasm rose to a whole new level, “but this isn’t real. Need I remind you that you’re in a coma and could possibly die if you don’t get out soon?”

She brushed him off, “You don’t understand! This is my chance to see the city and explore it without anyone else here! It’ll be like my own private tour!”

Kaiba frowned, “I hate to burst your bubble, but your family could be in the real world deciding to pull the plug on you any minute now. My suggestion would be to get your ass out of here while you still can.”

Tea didn’t say anything. Instead, her gaze shifted downcast, as if she were contemplating the differences between Kaiba’s truths and her false reality. She finally spoke. Her voice carried a bit more determination and vigor, “No, I need to see this city. This is my mind and I will do as I wish.”

Kaiba grabbed her hand and began pulling her. He would not take this bullshit. They were getting out, and they were getting out right _now_.

She fought him, jerking back on his arm and struggling to pry herself from Kaiba’s grip. “No! You’re going the wrong way!”

“Shut up, Gardner, and quit fighting me!” After a bit of a struggle, Tea managed to break free of Kaiba’s hold. 

“I’m not leaving!” She ran the opposite way as fast as she could.

Kaiba stood there for a moment, dumbfounded by her response. There was no way she could be serious….

“Come back!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession time. I did way more Google research on rattlesnake bites than I should’ve for this chapter, and I guarantee you most of the stuff you just read is factually inaccurate. All I can say from my research is that if you get bit by a snake just go to the hospital right away. You do not want your picture to end up on ‘rattlesnake bites’ on Google images. Trust me.   
>  Anyway, I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter. There was definitely a lot going on (I like to keep the action rolling.) Please feel free to tell me what you liked or disliked. Your comments are always tremendously helpful and it’s nice to see my story from someone else’s eyes. Thanks for reading thus far! Until next time!


	4. Coffee Shop Conversations

This wasn’t happening. No, it couldn’t be. He didn’t upload his mind just so he could eventually get deleted into the darkest caverns of Tea’s brain. This just couldn’t be happening; there was _no way_ she wanted to stay here, none of this was even real! Hell, he’d throw her on the next flight to New York City if that’s what it took to get them back to the real world.

 _I can’t believe she ran away on me!_ Annoyance palpitated through him as he chased after Tea, who was quite fast, but not fast enough. He still caught up to her even though he was only wearing one shoe.

“Gardner!” He clasped onto her arm with both of his hands, stopping her from preceding her escape route.

“Let go of me, Kaiba!” She fussed, trying everything she could to break away from his hold on her. 

“Just quit being irrational for five minutes and let me talk you through this!”

Tea broke free, “Fine!” She crossed her arms over her chest in an act of defiance.

Kaiba took a moment to catch his breath before he spoke, “You know this place isn’t real, right?”

“Yeah, you’ve only told me about a hundred times.

Her sarcasm was going to be difficult to work with. “Listen, your life is in jeopardy if you don’t find a way out soon.”

She didn’t speak this time, just looked away, as if she were chewing on his words. Maybe she was upset at the fact that he’d told her this ‘only a hundred times’ over. 

He took a different approach, “Your family and friends have been waiting for you, and you’ve kept them waiting for two years.”

A small, sympathetic frown formed at the corners of her mouth. Her eyebrows creased in concern. His words had struck a chord with her.

_Bingo._

Tea’s gaze carefully crawled up to him, and he noticed prickles of tears peaking out of the sides of her blue eyes. She was holding back her tears and he knew she missed her friends and family. They were his sway out of here.

The seriousness in his face intensified, “You may want to explore New York City, but the people you care about aren’t here. They’re waiting for you. Don’t let them down.”

She shook her head and a few stray teardrops were cast from her eyes. “I’ve always wanted to be in New York City…. It’s my dream….”

He didn’t want to do this, but desperate times called for desperate measures, “Gardner, I’ll send you to New York City if it will motivate you to go home.”

“You mean that?”

“Of course.” He hoped this would help ease her mind into bringing them back. If not, he’d have to think of another way to persuade her, or else he could kiss his mind goodbye.

She took hold of her surroundings for a moment, breathing in the crisp autumn air. Kaiba could tell she didn’t want to leave just yet, but why? Why was she so dead set on staying here? Maybe her subconscious wasn’t ready to leave? Maybe there was something unresolved in the depths of her subliminal mind that even she couldn’t come to terms with?

Kaiba remembered where her mind had first led him. The little girl, who Kaiba had concluded to be Tea’s subconscious mind taking shape in a younger version of Tea, had led him straight to her. She had wanted to be found all along, right from the start. Then why was she refusing to leave?

Kaiba considered where her mind had led him next, revealing how frightened Tea was of the floodwaters. He recalled how she stated she had no idea why she was so terrified. Then her mind brought them to a desert. No water.

_Water…. Her subconscious has unresolved tensions with water. But what could be so bad about water? Why would she have issues with water, unless-_

He gasped.

Tea cocked her head to the side, “What is it, Kaiba?”

Nobody had told him how she-

“How did you end up in a coma?”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

She shrugged innocently, “I don’t know?”

“Think.”

“I-I don’t remember, Kaiba….”

“What type of accident were you in, Tea?”

He said her first name, and the understanding that passed through them was clear. This was vital information.

“It was two years ago…. I can’t think of it.”

He gripped her shoulders and she was taken aback by it. “You need to remember. What were you doing the day of the accident?”

She closed her eyes. Her face scrunched and Kaiba could visibly see her trying to recall her memories from that fateful day. “I…. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t during the day…. The accident happened at night.”

“Where?”

“Domino City…. The bridge that goes over Domino Bay, near the pier….”

_That would explain the water._

“What else can you remember?”

Her face contorted as her eyes wrinkled together even tighter. She appeared disturbed by her memories. A short time passed, and her face began to smooth out, eyes still closed, but no longer scrunched tight. Unexpectedly, she opened her eyes, giving Kaiba one of the most nerve-wracking looks he’d ever seen.

“Yugi proposed to me that night…. And I said no….”

Kaiba’s eyes grew wide. His grip tightened on her shoulders.

“I left the party and was completely distraught. I was sobbing, and driving, and I couldn’t really see where I was going. All I can remember is a pair of headlights quickly coming at me and jerking the steering wheel to swerve out of the way.”

“You drove yourself off the bridge.”

“I… must’ve…” She mumbled and her verification was barely audible.

The temperature drastically dropped. Kaiba was able to see his breath.

“What time of year was it?”

“January.”

Kaiba pulled away from her and crossed his arms. “I can tell.”

“Did I just make it frigid out here?”

“Your subconscious is recalling the incident. Domino Bay is freezing in January.”

“And that’s when I fell in….” She shivered and rubbed her arms to make her goose bumps disappear. “I don’t remember anything after that.”

“Your body must’ve gone into shock, I presume.”

She nodded, still trying to keep her bare arms warm. 

“Come on,” Kaiba said as he took hold of one of her wrists and began walking out of Central Park, “let’s head into a coffee shop. You need to warm up and I need more coffee.”

Tea couldn’t help but crack a tiny smile as she let him lead the way, only stopping to point to the coffee shop she was in before, which he unquestionably went into. The front door was unlocked and Kaiba walked right in like he’d been to the place a thousand times.

It was an adorable shop; small, but what it lacked in size it provided in atmosphere. The rustic look of the brick offered a much-needed warmth. Tiny, round, wooden tables with benches sticking out of the walls made for a unique sitting area. Deep gray cabinets decorated the back counter, and the bright teal tile behind the counter gave the shop a nice pop of color, adding a metropolitan feel to the mostly rural-styled shop.

Overall, Kaiba was impressed by the simple style of the coffee shop and was shocked that Tea had handpicked such a place. He would’ve anticipated something a little frillier from her, but maybe he had her pegged as the wrong type of girl? Maybe she was more down-to-earth than he had expected? Or, maybe she completely picked this place at random and he was just overthinking it? Either way, Kaiba felt relaxed here, almost as if he didn’t need to hide anything. Was it because Tea had opened up to him about her rejection to Yugi’s proposal? 

“Kaiba?”

His name snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned to her.

“Everything okay? You seem a bit spacey?”

He nodded, “Just admiring the place.”

She laughed, “Wow, the infamous Seto Kaiba compliments me twice in one day! First my dirty chai and now my choice of coffee shop. Geez Kaiba, don’t get too soft on me.”

“Shut up, Gardner.”

She strolled towards the counter and disappeared behind it as she bent over to grab the coffee. “That’s not a very polite thing to say, especially to the person whose about to make you another dirty chai.”

Rolling his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest to accentuate his annoyance, he replied, “Shut up, Gardner, _please_.”

She laughed and Kaiba could tell she had been teasing this whole time. “From you, I guess I’ll take it.”

“Yeah, it’s probably the only please you’ll ever get from me,” he teased back.

She seemed a bit shocked by his playful approach, but quickly brushed it off and altered the subject as she began grinding the coffee grounds. “So? What do we do now?”

“What do you mean? We drink our beverages and find a way home.” The statement was simple, yet Kaiba couldn’t help but get the feeling that Tea still didn’t want to leave this place. Maybe she was afraid to face Yugi?

Tea tilted her chin to the window, “Look.”

Snow had begun to fall and was already piling up.

“What the hell, Gardner!?”

She placed the grounds leisurely into the coffee filter and started the brewing process, “Don’t blame me! This was all you. You were the one who poked and pried into my memories and you somehow managed to pull this out of me.”

“Snow?”

“You made me think of January.”

“Well think of July! I’m not wearing the proper footwear for this, remember?”

“Oh, relax. We’ll get out of here after our drinks. Take a seat.” She was being too casual. Kaiba needed to try harder in order to get her out of this virtual world. A different approach was definitely necessary.

He made his way to the bench near the window, watching the snow steadily fall and rapidly pile up outside of the coffee shop. He could hear the loud hiss of the steamer and the gurgling sounds the coffee maker made as it dripped every last drop into the pot. The aroma of the coffee was fantastic, and probably the best coffee smell Kaiba had ever whiffed his whole life.

Before long, Tea strolled over and took a seat next to him on the bench, sitting closer than Kaiba had predicted. She placed the coffees on the table and scooted his mug closer to him. This time the drinks weren’t in travel mugs but in thick, white cappuccino mugs. The froth of his beverage had a leaf-like design and Kaiba didn’t want to take a drink, too afraid he’d ruin Tea’s work of art.

“I don’t know how you manage it Gardner, but this drink looks coffee shop worthy. Are you sure you aren’t a barista?”

Tea laughed lightly, her happiness making the corners of Kaiba’s lips rise, “Look at me! I’m three for three with compliments today!”

He smirked at her and narrowed his eyes, “Don’t push it.”

She gave him a genuine smile, “I’m not a barista. I just love making coffee recipes. My mom bought me an espresso machine for my eighteenth birthday and I kinda just taught myself.”

“I see….”

“Well don’t just stare at it. Take a sip. Let me know if you like it.”

“Fishing for compliments now are we, Gardner?” His teasing tone crept in and Tea seemed to take note.

She raised her mug into the air and announced, “To you, Kaiba, for saving me.”

He was confused by her declaration. He technically hadn’t saved her yet. Maybe some of his words had struck a chord with her and she wanted to leave after all? He hoped he was right.

Lifting his mug into the air, they simultaneously said, “Cheers,” and clinked their mugs together softly, taking small sips of their coffees. Kaiba couldn’t deny it. This dirty chai latte was even better than the first one, and he didn’t think that was even possible.

“So….?”

He took another sip, burning his mouth a bit. He didn’t care. The drink was delicious. “It’s perfect.”

She giggled and pointed at his face, “Kaiba you have a foam mustache.”

Like lightning, he moved to wipe it off, using the back of his hand. A flush of embarrassment washed over him and the feeling was incredibly new to him. Why was he feeling such a bizarre emotion around this girl?

Silence enveloped them as they casually sipped on their coffees. Not knowing what to say to each other. Kaiba looked up from his coffee to steal a glance at Tea. The falling snow preoccupied her crystal blue eyes and Kaiba wondered why her mind wasn’t freaking out over the snow. It was water after all….

She shifted her gaze to him and smiled, taking another sip of her drink. She was in a good mood and Kaiba knew this was his chance to sway her into getting out of here as soon as possible.

“Why are you so hesitant to leave?”

She set her coffee down and stared at it, “I don’t know how to answer that….”

“Is it because of Yugi?” He didn’t care if his comment was blunt. He wanted out.

She shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. A moment passed between them that indicated this was about Yugi. “Can anyone see us?”

“What do you mean?”

“In the real world. Can they see us?”

He shook his head, “No, all they can see is our brain activity.”

She let out a pent-up sigh, “Good. I wouldn’t want him to be watching…”

Kaiba knew she was referring to Yugi. He stayed quiet, waiting for her to speak.

“We’d only been dating for two months before he proposed to me.”

“So?”

“So what?”

“You two have been best friends for years, and anyone with eyeballs can see he has always been in love with you. _So_ , were you really _that_ shocked when he asked you?”

She took another sip of her coffee, choosing her words carefully, “Well,” she sighed, “no…. I wasn’t.”

“Then why did you turn him down if you knew he was going to ask?”

“Because…. Urghh, it’s just not that easy to explain Kaiba….”

This time he was the one who took a long, drawn-out sip of his beverage. “I’ve got time.”

She sighed once again, “Part of me was hoping he wouldn’t ask, but then the party happened, and I knew.” She paused, but it wasn’t to take another sip of her coffee. She needed a moment to collect herself. “I can’t go back and face him, Kaiba. I embarrassed him in front of our friends and family. I know it’s been two years, but for me it was yesterday.”

_It’s no wonder she’s so hesitant to leave. This incident is fresh in her mind._

“I made a promise to Yugi before I uploaded your mind to this virtual world.”

“What was it?”

“To take care of you.”

She didn’t say a word. She almost looked surprised.

When she refused to speak, he spoke, “I don’t care what feelings you may or may not have for Yugi, that’s between you and him. But I don’t break my promises, Tea. I’m doing what’s best for you, and that’s getting you out of here so you don’t die.”

Frustration flashed across her face, “I don’t need you telling me how to live my life, Kaiba.”

His irritation grew. “I’m not. I’m just looking after you and _trying_ to keep the promise I made, but in this current situation it’s a little difficult.”

Her irritation grew. “And what if I don’t want to leave, Kaiba? What’re you going to do about it? Your mind is trapped in here with mine, and without me you can’t get out.”

She had a point, and that’s what drove Kaiba absolutely nuts. He should’ve just let her rot.

He tried his old approach. “Your family is waiting for y-”

She stood up sharply, fury aflame in her sapphire eyes. “You think I can just go back to my family after this? You think I can just wake up and pretend like Yugi’s proposal never happened? That the accident never happened? You think things will go back to normal after two years?”

He just sat there, letting her blow off steam.

“The only reason you’re here is so you can quit having to deal with me, am I right Kaiba? Because knowing you, you aren’t doing any of this for _my_ benefit. You’re here for yourself. Well guess what, I want to stay, for myself.”

He glared at her, “You want to die?”

She sat down, calming herself a bit. “No.”

“Like I’ve been saying all this time, that’s what will happen if you stay.”

She was still quiet. Still trying to cool off.

“You’re right. I may be doing this for my benefit, but look at it this way, if you go back, you can start over, begin a new chapter of your life. There’s no point in looking back. What’s done is done.” He ended with a curt of his mug and a long, indulging drink of his dirty chai. There was no point in arguing with her anymore. She knew the truth, and Kaiba felt like it was time for her to embrace what the future had in store for her and move on.

“How can I just move on, Kaiba? Everyone is waiting for me.”

She brought up another good point. Her family and all of her friends were waiting for her. She couldn’t just toss them aside after two years. Kaiba recalled how hopeful everyone was to have her mind uploaded to the virtual world. It brought on anticipation that she would finally wake up and that her mind hadn’t been lost forever. They were eagerly waiting, especially Yugi. It didn’t matter what she had done two years ago, all they wanted was for her to come home.

“They’ll forgive you.”

“What?” A mixture of confusion and subtle shock befitted her expression.

“It doesn’t matter what you did two years ago, Gardner. All your family and friends want is for you to come home. That’s what they’ve wanted from the moment you went into a coma.”

Skepticism crossed her face, “How do you know?”

“I’ve been living in the real world for the past two years. I know what’s been going on. You don’t.”

She inhaled sharply, as if she were breathing in his words. Kaiba could tell that she genuinely took in what he was saying this time. In fact, his words _actually_ broke through to her. It was about time.

She sucked down the last few gulps of her coffee and set the mug down. She wiped her face with the back of her wrist and swallowed. “You’re right, Kaiba. I need to leave. I need to face my problems. Two years is too long to keep them waiting.”

_Finally…._

“Will you help me?”

The sentence surprised him. Did she mean in the virtual world? Of course, but in the real world too? That was a different story.

She answered his question, “When I get back, I mean. Will you help me move on?”

He didn’t know how to respond. He couldn’t necessarily say no. If he denied her request, she would probably not want to leave this place. He couldn’t risk that right after she agreed to go back.

“Sure,” he replied, knowing he could take back what he said once they crossed the threshold into the real world. He swallowed down the last of his dirty chai, trying to cover up his lie. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m pretty sure this is the most dialogue I’ve ever written in one chapter, haha. Thanks for sticking with me thus far. Please drop a review and let me know how I’m doing. Thanks everyone!


	5. Barney's New York

“I can’t feel my foot.”

Jumbo-sized snowflakes assaulted them as they trudged through the thick snow-covered ground. Kaiba wasn’t wearing a second shoe and was making the journey partially barefoot.

“Oh quit your bitching. It’s not like I’m wearing the proper footwear either,” Tea argued as she trekked through almost a foot of snow in sandals and soggy socks.

“Just hurry up and find Barneys,” Kaiba demanded, “before we have to amputate my foot.”

“If you can survive two rattlesnake bites, then you can survive this.” Tea could hear him grumbling from behind her, but she didn’t look back. She kept trekking through the snow in hopes of finding the infamous Barneys New York department store. It was a classic place to shop on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Tea had always dreamed of going there. She convinced Kaiba that they needed new attire if they were going to search for a way out of this virtual world, and he reluctantly agreed to go Barneys. Besides, the store was right up the road. The journey just seemed to take forever due to the heavy snow.

Tea stopped suddenly at an intersection and looked up. She blinked frantically to try and see as the snowflakes obscured her vision. Before her stood a fifteen-story building. The building’s entrance and windows were lined with red awnings and snow-covered overhangs. The sight was classic and Tea felt like she was enjoying Christmas in New York.

_This is absolutely gorgeo-_

“Ow!” She almost toppled forward. Spinning around she glared at Kaiba, who had just walked right into her.

“What the hell, Gardner? Warn me before you suddenly stop in the middle of the road!”

She huffed, placing her hands on her hips. “It’s not my fault you’re not watching where you’re going!”

He brushed away the snowflakes that had built up on his face, “Actually, yes, it is. You’re the one that made it snow, and I can’t see where I’m going because these snowflakes are too damn big!”

“Again, Kaiba, quit your bitching,” she turned and pointed to the lofty building she had been admiring, “because we’re here.”

His eyes followed her pointed finger to the building, “Finally.”

“Kaiba, we were only outside for maybe five minutes.”

“Yeah, five minutes too long.” He pushed past her and began crossing the intersection, making his way over to Barneys. He had picked up his pace and Tea had to jog to keep up to him. The snow made the task difficult, but she was able to catch up to him as he pulled open the entrance door. The foot of snow prevented the door from opening all the way, and Kaiba held it open so she could slip right in. Kaiba slid right in after her, shifting sideways to get through. The door shut by itself and the lights flashed on automatically throughout the building.

“Wow…” Tea’s eyes widened as she gawked over the place. Mirrors lined the walls. The floors were clean, white and pristine. The smell of genuine leather filled her nostrils. Everything looked so amazing and expensive. She would never be able to afford anything in here if this were the real world.

She walked over to the purse counter and checked the price tag on a beautiful, black leather handbag, gasping when she read the sticker.

“Too pricy for a street rat like you, eh Gardner?”

_Oh, that bastard!_

“Clearly I’m not worthless, considering you risked your life to save me.”

“Still doesn’t mean you aren’t a street rat.”

She gave him a death glare, “I have no problem staying here, Kaiba. Keep up those comments and you’ll be stuck in here with me forever.”

“Humph,” This time he was the one who crossed his arms in defiance, “I’m going to find the men’s section. I’ll meet you down here when you’re done. Don’t waste too much of my time. Grab what you need and go.” 

She wanted to say ‘ _whatever_ ’ and let him leave, but something unnerved her about being alone in this humungous building. “Kaiba, I think it’s best if we stick together.”

He had already started walking toward the escalators, but stopped and turned around. “And why’s that?”

“This place is unfamiliar to me. I don’t want to get lost.”

“You won’t get lost, Gardner,” He groaned, “grow up.”

He had begun walking away again when she said, “What if my mind decides to change the environment and we lose each other? You’ll have to come find me again. I know you don’t want to be trapped here….”

He let out a hefty groan, “Fine. Follow me then.”

She scurried over to Kaiba. He flipped a side switch on one of the escalator rails and the escalators started up. They boarded the moving staircase, travelling toward the second story. 

“Too lazy to walk?”

He didn’t look back at her, “I don’t see you hiking up these stairs, Gardner.”

“I would if I had to, but my socks are all wet. I’d like to avoid slipping and falling.”

He still didn’t look back at her, but presented her with a snarky comment instead, “You see, I would if I had to too, but my fucking foot is frozen, and I’d like to avoid slipping and falling.”

She totally forgot about his foot! If her foot were frozen she’d want to take the escalator too. She instantly felt like a dumbass….

“Kaiba, I’m sorry. I forgot about your foot. I didn’t mean to be rude….” She tried to cover her ass, but she knew simply by staring into the back of Kaiba’s head, that he was offended.

“Whatever, Gardner. Just be quiet.”

This time she stayed quiet. Kaiba’s grumpiness and disrespectful comments had gotten to her, and she barked back. She needed to realize that all he wanted was to get out, and deep down that’s all she wanted too. If they were going to find the exit they would need to work together. 

They came up on the men’s section and it was just as flawless as Tea had expected it to be. The style of clothing was so Seto Kaiba, and Tea mentally rolled her eyes. He had probably been to this store in the real world, getting a suit tailored or something.

“I’ll be right back,” Kaiba said dryly as he carried various styles of shirts and pants into a nearby dressing room. He slammed the door behind him, and Tea guessed it was to prove a point. He was definitely upset but not just by her comment, rather by this entire situation. If it hadn’t been for her over-emotional reaction to Yugi’s proposal, they wouldn’t be here right now.

Tea rested on a chair just outside of Kaiba’s dressing room. She stretched her legs and pulled off her sandals and socks, examining her soggy feet. They were a bit paler than she remembered, but there was nothing more serious going on such as hypothermia.

Tea let go of a long sigh she had been holding in since Kaiba had slammed the door. In the back of her throat was an apology just waiting to escape. She felt too guilty to hold it in any longer, “Kaiba, I’m sorry about my comment from before. I didn’t mea-”

The dressing room door swung open and Tea thought she was going to get clocked in the face by it. Kaiba stood in the doorway wearing a complete change of clothes and they just stared at each other.

“So?”

She didn’t say anything. She didn’t really know what to say.

“Gardner I’m asking for your opinion.”

_Oh…._ Did this mean he was no longer upset?

“Uh…” Her eyes scanned up and down, and for the first time she truly examined his body. He was skinny, but Tea could tell he was toned underneath the dark blue button-up he had picked out. Tea recognized the Fendi label on the sliver belt that was snaked nicely around his hips, holding up the light gray trousers he was wearing. It felt like forever for Tea’s gaze to reach his bare feet, since his long legs seemed to go on for miles. He looked like a model and she instantly blushed at the thought. How could she be thinking of Kaiba this way? She never had before….

“Quit gawking and tell me what you think.” His voice snapped her back into reality.

_Shit, was I really staring for that long?_

“Uh, y-you look great, Kaiba,” she stammered, “Everything matches perfectly.”

“Good. Now I just need a good pair of shoes.” He walked out of the dressing room and toward the shoes that were showcased on the opposite wall.

“Wait, you’re actually going to go out there in trousers?” She asked, “Don’t you want to be comfortable?”

He didn’t stop walking. “These are comfortable. Besides, jeans take longer to dry if they get wet.”

_Good point._

She watched him pick out a black pair of monk strap shoes, adorned with two silver buckles across the top.

“Hmm, Valentino….” He murmured, carrying the shoes with him as he went to search for a pair of socks. Finding a black pair, he slipped on the socks, then the shoes, walking up and down the shoe section to break-in the shoes.

“Don’t just sit there, Gardner,” he demanded, glancing her way, “look for a matching jacket.”

“You want _me_ to look for a jacket for _you_?”

“Isn’t that what I just said?” He grouched.

Placing her hands on her knees, she sighed as she pulled herself from the comfy chair, “Fine….” She walked over to the coats and jackets section and began browsing. “You know you can be quite demanding sometimes, Kaiba. I can see why you’re a CEO.”

He made his way over to her after deciding on the Valentino shoes. “It’s my way of keeping slackers like you in line.”

She stopped browsing. “Slacker?” Placing her hands on her hips she scowled up at him, “I am _not_ a slacker, by any means!”

He inched closer to her, “Really? Then why haven’t you found a jacket for me yet?”

“Because you gave me about five seconds to look!” She was growing agitated, “And on top of that I don’t even know your size.”

He got even closer to her this time. It unnerved her a little, but she kept her composure. There was no way in hell she’d falter in front of Kaiba.

“Small.”

“Thanks.” She turned back to what she had been doing before he interrupted, “Ya know, Kaiba, maybe you could look too? This jacket is for you after all.”

“I trust your tastes, Gardner. Besides, my wardrobe needs a bit of a woman’s touch.” His words came off his lips like frisky fire. Tea felt as though his words alone were some form of seduction. Was he really flirting with her, or was she looking into this too much? She touched her burning cheek and realized she was blushing. Why did he suddenly make her feel this way? Was he enticing her on purpose?

She shuffled through the racks quickly, trying to focus on finding a jacket without getting distracted by Kaiba, who was now leaning over her right shoulder, carefully watching every move she made. She found a black jacket in a size small and raised it up to him, not even caring about the color, cut or designer. All she wanted was to get Kaiba’s gaze off of her.

“Here, try this on.”

He simply smirked, taking the jacket and inspecting it in his hands. He rubbed the material; feeling the soft, corduroy surface lace between his fingers. Flipping the jacket over, he brushed the back of his hand on the inside of the jacket, touching the smooth silk lining.

“Black corduroy? Hmmm….” He assessed the tag for a designer label, “Balenciaga?” Throwing the jacket over his shoulders, he buttoned it up and smoothed it out over his body, briefly taking a moment to examine how it looked. “I’m surprised, Gardner. You have good taste.”

She exhaled a breath she didn’t even know she was holding.

“Come on,” He waved his hand and began walking, “let’s go find something suitable for you.”

* * *

She could _never_ wear this! Not in a million years! Why did she let Kaiba pick out her clothes? He was just trying to make a fool out of her. Typical. She should’ve known….

“Get out here already, Gardner!” He demanded.

“No!” She cried from the other side of the dressing room door.

“Oh, come on, I have brilliant taste,” he claimed, but the tone in his voice made her wonder if he was serious or not.

“Kaiba I can’t go out wearing this!” Her voice was edging toward a level of slight panic and she prayed Kaiba couldn’t sense it. To her dismay, he did. 

“Just let me see, there’s no one else here but us. I promise it looks better than you think.” He tried encouraging her. _The_ Seto Kaiba, attempting to _comfort_! _Only in the virtual world_ , she supposed.

“No, Kaiba!”

“Come on….” He groaned.

“I’m serious, Kaiba! This is ridiculous!”

“ _You’re_ being ridiculous! Just let me see.” Before Tea could interject, Kaiba had whipped open the dressing room door, revealing an extremely shocked Tea.

“Ah! What’re you doing?” She crossed her arms over her chest to cover up the revealing cut of the romper she was wearing.

“Getting to see what I picked out,” he smirked. It was as if he relished in the fact that he got to dress her in some skanky romper _and_ barge in on her in a dressing room without warning.

She held her chest tighter, “Like I said, I can’t wear this.” She felt Kaiba’s eyes on her, scanning the entirety of her body. Even though she was fully dressed, she never felt more naked. His eyes tore her apart.

The dark blue romper, that ironically matched the color of his shirt, was short around her backside and tremendously low-cut, accentuating too much of her large chest. The fabric clung to the smallest portion of her waist and was embellished with a thin, gray belt. The long-sleeves and high collar were the only modest parts of the entire romper.

She watched Kaiba’s gaze shift toward the lower half of her body, studying the charcoal-gray tights she was wearing along with the black booties he had picked out. It was as if he were reviewing a work of art, _his_ art.

He reached for Tea’s hands and gently pulled them away from her chest, placing them next to her sides. A small smirk grazed his lips as he took a peek at her well-endowed chest. She blushed and embarrassingly looked away.

“Look at how nicely a street rat cleans up.”

A flash of anger burst within her and she wound her hand back, ready to slap him, but he swiftly caught her wrist mid-swing, “Relax, Gardner. I’m only kidding.”

Tea yanked her arm away from him. “Well it’s not funny to me.”

“Well maybe you should learn to lighten up.”

“Oh, coming from you.”

He just smirked. Tea found his smirk to be more light-hearted than before. It wasn’t his typical egotistical smirk he usually went around wearing, but rather a more playful grin, like the one she had seen in the coffee shop. This definitely wasn’t typical behavior for Kaiba. Tea wondered if his actions occurred because she was wearing skimpy clothing or if it was because she had opened up to him about her accident.

“For the third time, I can’t go out wearing this. It’s too immodest for me.”

“Oh please, the school uniforms you used to wear were much scantier. Besides, you actually look very sleek.”

_Sleek? Was that Kaiba-code for sexy?_

“It was like this romper was made for you,” He smiled with his eyes.

_Oh God, did he just compliment her again!?_

“Now let’s go find you a jacke-” He froze.

She opened her mouth to speak but he slapped his hand over it faster than words could form.

Thankfully, his lankiness assisted in keeping one hand clasped tightly over Tea’s mouth while the other stretched over to the dressing room doorknob, slowly pulling the door shut. It barely made a sound, just a faint click.

Without warning, Kaiba hoisted Tea onto the dressing room chair. She made a slight noise but Kaiba’s hand almost completely drowned out the sound. Kaiba climbed up onto the chair with her. They stood, body squished against body.

With a lengthy finger, Kaiba used his other hand to signal a “shhhhh,” and took his other hand away from her face. She stayed quiet, waiting for him to explain. Her heart immediately began to race when she understood why Kaiba had stopped everything he had been doing.

Footsteps echoed throughout the store. Multiple footsteps. Which meant multiple people….

…..all trapped in her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed it. Please drop a review and let me know how I’m doing. Thanks so much for all of your support.


	6. The Chase

“Mr. Kaiba! Mr. Kaiba!”

The shouts in the distance made both of their eyes widen. What were his men doing here? Why had they followed in after him? We’re they trying to rescue him from Tea’s mind?

Tea leaned into Kaiba a little more and whispered in his ear, “What’re your Kaiba Corp. goons doing here?”

He whispered back, “I don’t know.”

“We can’t just leave them in here or they’ll be trapped in my mind. We’ve gotta get them out.”

Kaiba gnawed on her words. She was right, they would be trapped here, but what if they weren’t real after all?

“I think they’re virtual manifestations.”

She wrinkled her nose and raised an eyebrow, “What?”

“I don’t think they’re real people at all.”

She waited for him to continue. Kaiba could feel her heart beat as their chests were squished together.

“Before I entered the virtual world, I was designing virtual people for you to interact with. These virtual people were going to try and persuade you to wake up.”

“So then why did you come in after me?”

_Because I couldn’t stand the thought of watching your lifeless body anymore._

Of course, he couldn’t tell her the real reason, instead he gave her a standard response, “The process was coming along too slowly and your body was already beginning to fail.”

The footsteps were now closer and definitely on the second floor. They shuffled around, rummaging through racks and articles of clothing to try and find them.

“Over here!” One of them shouted.

Kaiba glanced down. Tea’s old clothes had been discarded all over the dressing room floor and his men could see underneath. Why didn’t he think to move them? _Dammit…._

“They’ve spotted us,” he murmured.

“Now what?” Concern was spread across her face.

He leaned into her ear, his lips grazing her earlobe, and Kaiba could feel her heart beginning to beat faster. “You wanna have some fun?”

“What?” She gasped, almost breaking their whispered tone.

He grabbed her hand, interlacing his fingers into hers. The feeling felt so new to both of them and Kaiba almost let a blush escape from his cheeks. “We run. Let them chase us.”

“You’re crazy!”

“I thought you were more adventurous than this, Gardner?” He teased.

She ignored his teasing. “But, what if they’re real? What if people are watching us in the real world?”

“They’re not,” he assured, “Trust me. I made this technology. I know everything about it.”

“But-” The dressing room door flew open.

“I found them!” A man in a white lab coat was standing in the doorway, about to approach the couple.

“Run!” Kaiba shouted as he jumped off the chair, tugging on Tea’s arm, forcing her to follow him.

Kaiba pushed the man over, letting him fall to the floor. He noticed several other men begin to sprint after them and he bolted for the escalator, taking two stairs at a time.

“Hurry men, hurry! They’re getting away!” Their shouts were close by, too close for Kaiba’s comfort.

Jumping off the escalator, they made their way through the different areas of Barneys, seeking an exit. The floor beneath them was slick and covered in watery footprints from the melted snow. Landing on their sides, they slid across the floor, gaining a few yards. 

“Whoa!” Tea squealed as she bumped into Kaiba. He chuckled as he made his way to his feet and helped Tea to hers. He grinned, almost letting go of a full-blown laugh.

Tea giggled when she finally gained composure. “This is crazy, Kaiba!”

“I know!” He chuckled once again, this time gracing her with a smile, “I told you it’d be fun.”

“I thought you never had fun,” she teased.

He laughed, “I don’t!” The honesty that tumbled out of his mouth was unbelievable, especially to him. Why was Tea making him let loose? He didn’t know, but at this point, he didn’t really care.

“There they are!” The men were across the room, pointing, shouting, and running after them.

“Shit!” Kaiba cursed as he grabbed Tea’s hand once again and bee-lined for the exit.

“Get them men! Get them!” The shouts echoed in the distance as Tea and Kaiba quickened the pace, dodging the floor displays, racks of clothing and mannequins.

Kaiba pushed over a few mannequins, letting their bulkiness block the pathway they were forming. They laughed as they glanced back and spotted three of the men trip and fall over the mannequins.

“Kaiba you’re a badass!” Tea laughed as she saw the men trying their best to regain their composure. “I would’ve never thought of doing that!”

Kaiba simply chuckled, his face brightening at Tea’s compliment. It was a strange but attractive thing to receive a compliment like that from a woman. Even more so, a woman that Kaiba always seemed to acknowledge as enchanting and somewhat enticing. These feelings toward Tea felt odd, but after watching her lifeless body for almost two years, what he felt really didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was he was given these private moments to see her laugh and smile again. He realized that’s all he ever wanted for her.

He continued to lead the way out of the store, forging a path toward the back and bolting through an exit door. They were brought into an alley way and Kaiba stopped to take a quick glimpse of the area. There was a door located near a dumpster just about thirty yards away. It had to be a back door into a tavern or something. Hearing the shouts of his men coming from the inside of Barneys, Kaiba knew he had to act fast if they were going to keep up this running act.

He dragged Tea along as he sprinted for the tavern door, glancing back a few times to see if his men had followed them outside yet or not. Thankfully, they were still inside Barneys.

They made it without being chased, and Kaiba whipped open the door, pushing Tea inside. He slammed the door shut just as he heard the shouts of the men break out into the alley.

_Phew, just in the nick of time_. He clicked the latch to lock the door, ensuring they wouldn’t be followed inside.

“Tea, go lock the front door,” he demanded, “then hide.”

She nodded and ran toward the front. In the distance, Kaiba could hear a click, indicating she had done what he told her to do.

They waited, kneeling on the floor of the tavern to avoid being seen. The lights were off and Kaiba hoped it was too dark for the men to see them.

The back door of the tavern jerked and Kaiba almost jumped out of his skin. The door rattled but remained closed.

“It’s locked.”

“Are you sure they went in there?”

“They had to! What other way could they have gone?”

“The alley opens up on 60th street.”

“Let’s go men!”

Kaiba heard their feet rustle as they ran the opposite way. When he no longer heard their clatter, he stood and grazed his hand over the wall to find a light switch.

Tea made her way over to him, looking around as the lights came on. “That was a close one,” she exhaled deeply, “I’m so out of breath…”

“I thought you were a dancer, Gardner? You should be in better shape.”

“Shut up Kaiba, it’s from all the adrenaline,” she joked, sending him a friendly smile to show she wasn’t mad. She changed the topic as she took another look at the tavern they were in, which really wasn’t much of a tavern at all; it was more of a casual bar/nightclub. The bar held a wide arrangement of alcohols and the place had plenty of seating space. There was a mixture of yellow neon and classic lighting. Near the back wall was a small stage and dance floor area. Overall, for finding the place on a whim, it was attractive and welcoming.

Kaiba climbed behind the bar and began examining the selection of alcohols. He grabbed a few bottles from the shelf and began rummaging around for mixing materials.

“Are you actually making yourself a drink?” Tea asked.

“Why not?”

“Oh, I don’t know, because you were _so_ desperate to get out of this virtual world I thought that maybe you’d like to leave.”

He began mixing his drink, “Now look at who’s desperate to leave.”

Tea sighed, “I’m not. I just thought you were.”

“You thought wrong, Gardner.” He slid over a small glass of brownish, reddish liquid. “Drink up.”

She looked down at the drink Kaiba had made for her, “Are you saying you don’t want to leave?”

“No, I do, I just need a moment to take the tension off.” He began mixing another drink, this time for himself. It was the same beverage he had just given to Tea. Within seconds his drink was ready and he held it up to her.

She grabbed her drink and held it to her face, raising an eyebrow in curiosity, “What is it?”

“A Manhattan. I figured since we are in Manhattan, we mine as well enjoy one.”

“Where did you learn to make this?”

“Same way you learned to make coffee beverages. I taught myself.”

She smirked, “Are you confessing to being an alcoholic, Kaiba? Teaching yourself to make drinks and all?”

He frowned, “No, I’m just talented. Besides, alcoholics don’t take the time to make drinks. They just drink everything straight. Now shut your damn mouth and toast.”

She obeyed, clinking her glass with Kaiba’s. He watched as she took a small sip of the liquid and quickly swallowed. Her eyebrows lifted as the alcohol burned the back of her throat.

“Wow, Kaiba! This is strong, but damn it’s good.”

He took another sip; not allowing the stinging power of the alcohol to distort his facial features like it did with Tea’s. “Looks like someone hasn’t had a drink in a while. Have you forgotten how this stuff burns?”

She laughed, “A little bit,” taking another sip, this time her facial features didn’t drastically change.

“I’m surprised you can actually handle a drink like this, Gardner.”

She sent him a quizzical look, “And why’s that?”

“I used the best and strongest bourbon I could find.”

“So? What’s your point?”

He chuckled, “You don’t seem like the type that can handle strong liquor.”

She rolled her eyes and sent him an audacious look, “I need something this strong if I’m going to being around you.” She took a long sip just to prove she could handle it.

He laughed, “Why do you think I needed a drink in the first place?” He took a swig, leaving his glass less than half full. “When you’re the cause of all my tension, I need something to take the edge off.”

She glared at him but saw that flirtatious smirk hidden in his eyes. What game was he trying to play?

“Yeah,” her tone was laced with sarcasm, “I guess you could harbor a lot of tension from hanging around an actually person for once, especially when you’re so antisocial....”

This time he rolled his eyes, “Oh please, Gardner, the only reason you think I’m antisocial is because you never shut up.”

She almost spit out her drink at his remark, “Are you kidding? Kaiba, you’re about as social as a brick wall.”

“Interesting…. I didn’t know you went around talking to brick walls?”

Her blue eyes flared, “I don’t, it was a metaphor, Kaiba.”

“Actually, that was a simile. Damn Gardner, for all the English you speak, you’d think you’d know the difference in terminology….”

She growled at him, lifted her glass and chugged the remaining three-fourths of her Manhattan, slamming the glass down onto the bar. Her eyes were lit with a blue blaze and Kaiba enjoyed watching her frustration, knowing he had completely gained the upper hand in their verbal confrontation.

She swallowed hard, not caring that her throat felt as though it was literally on fire. She poked his chest from across the bar, stabbing at his sternum with every sentence she spoke, “I. Can. Out. Drink. _You_.”

Was she actually trying to prove she could out-drink him? Was painfully finishing off the last of her Manhattan to drive focus away from his words really her way of out-drinking him? He took his drink and swiftly finished it off, setting his glass down lightly.

“You want this to be a game, Gardner?” He grasped her pointed finger and gently set it down.

Her eyes narrowed and a devilish smile graced itself upon her face, “Yes.”

“Are you prepared to suffer from the consequences of your actions?”

She hoisted herself almost completely over the bar so she was face-to-face with him.

Her answer was like the strike of a match, “Yes!”

He licked his lips and smirked. Their faces were almost touching and Kaiba could practically taste the alcohol falling out of her breath.

“Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all know how Kaiba is with games. Do you think Tea can take on his challenge? Let me know what you think! Drop a review and give me all of your predictions for what you think will happen next.


	7. Wits and Wagers

Kaiba poured Tea another shot of tequila. This was her second, and Kaiba was watching her carefully to see if she was beginning to falter. To his surprise, she kept her composure, confidently grinning at him with every shot he poured. But Kaiba knew how alcohol worked. Give or take ten minutes and the substance would wreak havoc on her bloodstream. He just hoped the alcohol affected her bloodstream before it did his. This was a game Seto Kaiba refused to lose.

He poured himself another shot of whiskey then asked, “Need a chaser, Gardner? I mean your alcohol is just _so_ strong.”

“Shut your trap, Kaiba. I can handle Jose Cuervo without a chaser, but thanks for your ever so kind offer,” she rolled her eyes and downed the substance like it was water.

Kaiba smirked wickedly as he observed Tea take her shot. He drew the glass up to his lips, but before guzzling his shot, he decided he wanted to spice up their little game. Kaiba’s mischievous grin grew and his eyes became wild, “Why don’t we take things up a notch?”

She cocked her head to the side, “What do you mean?”

He set his drink down. “We wager.”

“A wager?”

“Haven’t you placed a bet before?”

She shook her head innocently.

He slapped his palm to his forehead; “I should’ve known you were too immature for something like this.”

“I’m not immature!” She defended herself, “I obviously know what betting is! I’ve just never had the opportunity to bet on anything. Geez, Kaiba, cut me some slack…”

His eyes dashed deviously into hers, “If you win I’ll consider cutting you some slack.”

She narrowed her eyes, not letting his unruly gaze break her, “Alright, I’m listening. What’s your wager?” She slapped on a sassy smile that drove Kaiba crazy. “The first person to get drunk has to eat an entire jar of pickled eggs?” She snorted at her fake proposition.

Kaiba rolled his eyes, “Don’t be so elementary, Gardner.”

She laughed a bit too hysterically and Kaiba believed the alcohol had a little something to do with it. “I’m sorry, I just pictured you trying to scarf down pickled eggs!” She began giggling again.

He just stared at her in pure annoyance, waiting for her laughter to die down. Once he noticed her calming down he asked, “Are you done?”

She nodded, still holding onto a cheesy smile, “Yeah, yeah, I’m sorry.” She cleared her throat and gestured, “Please continue.” 

“Thank you. As I was saying….” This time his eyes and grin matched in perfect guile; “If I win…” he seized a long pause to capture her full attention, “you have to forget about Yugi.”

She blinked a few times as her head tilted backward in shock, “Forget about Yugi? What do you mean?”

Kaiba took his shot as a way to seal his wager; he wouldn’t go back on his word now. The shot glass clanked against the bar as Kaiba lazily set it down, feeling his buzz begin to kick in. “I meant exactly what I said.”

“I can’t just forget about one of my best friends, Kaiba,” she shook her head, “that’s ridiculous.”

“Then don’t lose and you won’t have to forget.”

“But I can’t just obliterate someone from my mind! That’s not how memory works,” she explained.

His hazy blue eyes glared into hers, “You know that’s not what I meant.”

She didn’t speak. 

“I’m doing this for your own good.” Indeed he was. She had indicated she wanted to move on, and forgetting Yugi was the best place to start. However, in the back of his mind he knew it was a selfish request. As much as he wanted to not care about the relationship Tea and Yugi had, the more time Kaiba spent with Tea, the more he wanted to drive Yugi away from her past for good. Even the idea was just too much for Kaiba and he blamed his thought process on the liquor.

“You said you’d help me move on when we got back to the real world. Why are you making a bet like this while we’re still trapped here? I don’t understand Kaiba, how is forgetting about Yugi going to help me move on?”

He narrowed his eyes at her and a small scowl etched itself onto his face. _Because I want you!_ His thoughts were screaming at him. Again, he continued to blame it on the alcohol. Keeping his composure, he began to present his case like the well-rounded businessman he was, “Yugi is the reason you’re in this condition in the first place.” Kaiba stopped to pour them each another shot. “I mean,” his eyes darted for hers and she seemed to be on edge, exactly where he wanted her to be, “Yugi is the one that caused you so much distress. Don’t you want to let that all go?” He handed over the shot of Jose Cuervo, grazing her fingertips with his as he did so.

His eyes screamed of pure seduction, and Tea could not look away. She was caught in his trap.

“Take the edge off,” he smirked as he encouraged her to drink.

She took the beverage and contemplated for a moment on whether or not she should drink it. She spoke before taking what would soon be her third shot of tequila, “Why would you want to make this your wager? My past is something that’s never concerned you.”

“Who said this wager wasn’t about me?”

She wrinkled her eyebrows, “What do you mean?”

His mind was shouting at him, begging him to say exactly what he’d been feeling. For two years Kaiba watched her lifeless body waste away in front of him. Everyday he had wished he could just demand her to wake up, to get her to come back to life, anything to end the madness. But now, she was living, breathing and talking to him like nothing had changed in the past two years. Kaiba had worried about Tea’s well being long before he had gotten to know her here in the virtual world. In fact, getting to know her was what he wanted all along. During the six months that Tea was in his care, he had wished he’d known her better before her accident. Kaiba just wished he didn’t need the alcohol to realize these things. Yes, his motivation was selfish, but at least he knew what he wanted. And he wanted _her_.

He began persuading her in a business-like fashion once again, “Clearly you don’t believe Yugi’s the right person for you.”

She hesitated. “N-no…. But what does that have to do with-”

“Then you’re saying you haven’t found the right person.”

“No….?” She blinked a few times, trying to wrap her head around what Kaiba was saying.

“So think about my wager once again. If I win, you forget about Yugi.”

“Kaiba, why would you want me to forget about Yugi? We’ve already clarified he isn’t the right person for me. Are you saying you know who is?”

Immediately after the words left her mouth she knew. Her jaw dropped slightly and her eyes widened, staring into Kaiba’s determined sapphire spheres. Kaiba could see the questions panning out behind her eyes as she tried to come to terms with her realization.

The alcohol helped his case, Kaiba couldn’t deny that, but he knew, even six months ago, that all he wanted was her. Yugi didn’t deserve her. Especially not after indirectly causing Tea’s accident. No, she had to be his, and that was his true wager.

“Kaiba, are you telling me _you’re_ the-”

“What’s your wager, Gardner?” He couldn’t let her finish. No matter how much alcohol was running through his veins, he couldn’t say he wanted her out loud. It just wasn’t how he rolled.

Grabbing the whiskey bottle he began to chug from it, washing down his words. He felt slightly embarrassed to having practically admitted his true feelings toward Tea, but he felt even more foolish that it took her so long to realize. Maybe she didn’t care about him? Whatever the reason, Kaiba could leave this entire fiasco behind him once they got back to the real world. He could go back to focusing on his company and spending more time with Mokuba. Those were the things that truly mattered to him anyway.

She finally took her shot of tequila, trying to wash away the awkwardness that this entire thing sprung. This time she reacted to the stinging of the alcohol, or was she attempting to rid her mind of what he almost admitted? Either way, it didn’t matter. At this point Kaiba wanted to lose the bet. Letting her win would mean their situation wouldn’t be compromised. They could leave this place, go back to their usual lives and pretend this never happened—

“If I win, you have to tell me how you truly feel about me.”

—until she said that.

He laughed uncomfortably, taking another swig from his Jack Daniels bottle.

She placed a hand on her hip and mocked his smugness, “What’s the matter, Kaiba? Afraid to tell me your true feelings?”

He slammed the remainder of the whiskey and set the bottle down firmly as to indicate his triumph. He pushed the remainder of the Jose Cuervo toward her, “Looks like you’ve gotta lot of catching up to do, Gardner.”

She yanked the bottle from his grasp, “Quit changing the subject, Kaiba!”

He drunkenly rolled his eyes, “I’m not.”

She scowled at him, “Yes, you are.”

“Fine. You want to know how I feel about you?” He inched closer to her, the smell of whiskey tumbling from his breath like a hazy fog, “I think you’re _afraid_ , Gardner.”

“Afraid?”

“You’re afraid to move on. You’re afraid to find your way in the world.”

She didn’t say anything.

“That’s why you never left Domino City. You were too afraid to move to New York and become a dancer, am I right?”

“I’m not afraid, Kaiba. Besides, I know how you feel about me. Even if you won’t say it.”

He scoffed at her, “Then you’ve wasted your bet!”

“No, I’ve won.”

His eyes flashed in disdain and he growled, “What do you mean?”

“You’re the one that’s afraid, Kaiba. You’re afraid to tell me how you feel.”

As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He’d _never_ tell her that out loud, but all in all, she was spot on. He was definitely afraid. No, more like _terrified_. Terrified that she’d think differently of him, terrified she’d reject him or even make fun of him.

What she said next completely baffled him.

“You don’t have to say it, Kaiba. I already know. And you’re right, maybe I am a little bit afraid, but so are you, and that’s okay. We can be afraid together.”

_We can be afraid together_ …. Her words echoed in his eardrums. Was this her confirmation that she felt the same way about him as he did her? How could she feel the same way? She wasn’t the one watching from a window for six months.

He didn’t know what to say, so he stuck to his stubbornness and tried to keep his walls up the best he could, even though they were crumbling quickly. “So, you wagered on information you already knew. Good one, Gardner.”

She crossed her arms over her chest; her face was as smug as his. “You haven’t won yet, Kaiba.”

He glared at her, “Really? What could possibly make you think that I’ve lost? You should know me better than that, I seldom lose.”

She bent over the bar, inching closer to his face. “You wanna win? Then _make me_ forget about Yugi.”

He didn’t need any more confirmation than that. Every fiber of his existence wanted her, _needed_ her, and she had just invited him in.

Kaiba made a mad dash for her lips, taking them in impatiently. He weaved his hands through the silky smooth strands of her hair, realizing how remarkable it felt, even though it was virtual. After months of watching her body practically decay, actually being able to feel the life in Tea was incredible.

She was like fire, responding to his kiss with energy that completely amazed him. It was as if she wanted this as much as he did. She wrapped her arms around his neck and played with the threads of his hair, twirling her fingers through his chocolate locks.

To his surprise she opened her mouth and grazed her tongue across his lips. She tasted like a sugared lemon and Kaiba deduced that to be the tequila. He allowed her tongue to dance with his, opening his mouth to let her take control. She was a great kisser, again to Kaiba’s surprise. He supposed she and Yugi must’ve….

He abruptly broke the kiss.

She pulled away from him, quickly removing her arms from his neck. “What’s the matter?” She asked. There was genuine concern in her voice.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say, he was flustered, embarrassed, and angry with himself for letting his thoughts betray him.

“Did I do something wrong?”

He took her in, observing the apprehension that was engraved within her gorgeous azure eyes. Her cheeks were flushed, splotched with light pink hues. Kaiba assumed his face looked roughly the same. How was he to explain himself? With as embarrassed and as turned on as he was, how was he able to translate his thoughts to her without completely offending her?

“No.” His response was firm. He struggled to hide his humiliation. Tea could probably tell how mortified he was. He did break their kiss after all….

“Are you sure?”

He let his anger flare, taking out all of the irritation he held toward himself and directing it toward her, “Yes, Gardner. I’m fucking sure.”

“Okay, no need to snap.”

He snarled, “Let’s just leave. Forget this whole thing ever happened.” He walked around the bar and began to head toward the back door of the facility.

“Kaiba, wait!” Tea pleaded. Her pleas weren’t enough to stop him. He just needed to get sober and forget this journey ever occurred.

“Please don’t leave!”

Gripping the doorknob, he swung open the door, ready to step through.

“I’m sorry….” Her voice trailed, “I don’t know what I did, but I’m sorry….”

He exhaled audibly and closed his eyes in annoyance. He paused in the doorway, ready to leave, and he should’ve, but the way he felt wasn’t her fault. “Don’t be sorry, Gardner. I don’t blame you.”

“Please stay?” It was a question he could tell she was nervous to ask, but she was brave enough to do so anyway.

Without looking back, he walked out the door and slammed it shut behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez, Kaiba, grow up. Haha, I’m just kidding! (No, but really, he needs to grow up.)


End file.
